How Do I Know I’m Ready to Become a Certified They Ask, You Answer Coach?

Becoming a certified They Ask, You Answer coach represents an investment of time and money.

As with any big commitment, you only want to move forward when you’re ready — but you also don’t want to waste time on uncertainty, never able to pull the trigger.

If you’re seriously considering the certification program, use this article to help you determine the right time to move forward.

We never want to rush our applicants or guide them to make decisions that are not in their best interests. Instead, we want to be partners in their growth.

When you’re ready to invest in your future by becoming a certified They Ask, You Answer coach, we’ll be ready to teach you.

In this article, you'll find resources that will help you know when to move forward, including:

• How often we'll run cohorts.
• How to know when you're ready to make the necessary financial and time commitments.
• The essential prerequisite for your training.

Let's dive into details.

First off, know this: We will run frequent cohorts

IMPACT will be running They Ask, You Answer certification cohorts at least once per quarter, so you will have a number of chances to line up a start date with your circumstances.

You shouldn't feel the need to start because you don't want to miss the next cohort. If the timing of an upcoming cohort feels too soon to you, there will be one coming on its heels.

They fill up quickly though, so be sure not to wait too long.

Regardless of when you start, every cohort will become a tight-knit group of professionals from diverse backgrounds, from the United States and abroad. Each will represent a rich learning opportunity for you.

You'll be in a great group no matter when you start.

How to know when you’re ready to start your certification

The truth is this: Only you know when you’re ready to make the financial and time commitment to become a certified coach.

However, I can offer two pieces of advice:

1. There are some things in life that you never truly feel ready for, like having a child or starting a business. These are big undertakings that can feel intimidating, and this can cause you to hold off for way too long before getting started.
   Don’t spend too much time on the sideline if you know you want to be in the game.
2. The sooner you make an investment, the sooner it starts bringing in a return.

That said, let’s look at the particulars of the decision.

Be comfortable with the financial commitment

Becoming a certified They Ask, You Answer coach takes a sizable investment.

This is not just some badge to put on your website. You could become a “certified inbound marketer” after watching a HubSpot Academy course on 2X speed and acing the exam with the transcripts open.

That’s not what this is.

You can expect months of intense learning, personalized feedback from experts, and a supportive cohort.

This kind of learning costs money, because we run small cohorts and offer such a rigorous experience.

Are you in a position to comfortably invest the money that’s required? You don’t want to put yourself in financial uncertainty by applying for this program.

At IMPACT, we will never push you to make a decision that’s not right for you.

Remember, there will be other cohorts in the future. Our sales team will never pressure you and say, “Get started and find a way to pay for it!”

Instead, they’ll ask “As a business owner, is this a smart financial decision for you right now? Do you have the cash flow to do this?”

(In fact, that’s a direct quote from Marc Amigone, our director of sales.)

We want to be sure this is an investment you can confidently make. Once you’re ready to move forward, we promise to deliver outstanding, uncompromising value.

Be ready for the time commitment

But it’s not just about finance. Becoming a certified coach requires a significant time investment, spread out over an entire year. You’ll be expected to attend and participate in every meeting — and there will often be homework.

If you’re working 70 hours a week to keep your business afloat, you do not have time for this program. You’ll need to free up the calendar space before committing — and this is something only you know if you can do.

Your weekly time commitment will vary over the course of the program. In the first week, you can expect three five-hour sessions. Later, this evolves into weekly two-hour meetings, before settling into monthly two-hour sessions in the second half of the year.

(Click here for a more detailed description of program time commitment.)

All that said, we do our best to schedule sessions at times that work for the entire cohort, and we understand that life can sometimes throw us curveballs. If you have a particular commitment that can’t be moved, let the IMPACT team know in advance.

If life throws you something unexpected after you’ve started, speak to Dia Vavruska, program director, or to Chris Duprey, head program coach.

Before you start, read They Ask, You Answer

This is your prerequisite: Read Marcus Sheridan's book.

Marcus founded the entire They Ask, You Answer movement, eventually writing a book of the same name. That book, now revised and expanded into a second edition, was recently named the #1 marketing strategy book of all time by Book Authority.

Marc Amigone believes that you shouldn’t seriously consider becoming a certified They Ask, You Answer coach until you’ve read the book. “The book lays out the strategy very clearly,” he says. “You’ll quickly find that it either resonates with you or doesn’t.”

Some readers might not feel moved by Marcus’s framework, and the coaching certification would not make sense for them.

For the vast majority, though — be they business owners or marketers — the book is a godsend. Finally, a marketing and sales strategy that’s based on truly serving your customers.

Anyone who reads the book and loves it should look into working with IMPACT, whether with our They Ask, You Answer Mastery program or by becoming a certified coach.

When you’re ready, we’re ready

If you’ve read They Ask, You Answer and are on board with the vision for a new way of working with clients, the program is designed exactly for you. You can expect to work directly with Marcus and other IMPACT experts as you develop and expand your skillset. 

But be forewarned: This will be an immersive and intensive learning experience. You should only undertake it when you’re ready. You don’t want to be in a position to think twice once you begin.

Make sure the financial and time commitments are something you can reasonably manage — then get ready to jump in.

We can start as soon as you’re ready to begin.